Machine for shrinking felt articles



April 2s, 1925. 1,535,328

' W. A. LORENZ MACHINE FOR SHRINKING FELT ARTICLES Original Filed July 16, 1923 Eg .2 Fig. 4

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asians VILLIAEI A. LORENZ, UF HARTFORD, CNNECTCUT, ASSEGNOR TO UNITED STATES HAT MACHINERY COTLPRTON, Ol? NEW* YURK, lll'. IY., .A CORPORATION 0F VIR- GINIA.

MACE-HNE EUR SHRNKNG FELT ARTICLES.

Application filed .'uly 16, 19533, Serial No. 651,701.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, llVrLLiaM A. LORENZ, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hartford, iii the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful ln'lprovements in a Machine for Shrinking' Felt Articles, of which the following' is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for shrinking hat bats and the like and has as its aim to provide a machine of this sort having various features of novelty and ad vantage and, more particularly, which is characterized by its simplicity and cheap-- ness in construction and its effectiveness in operation.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts 'which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have shown, for illustrative purposes, one embodiment which the present invention may take, it being understood, however, that this disclosure is by way of exeinpliiication only and is not to be taken as restrictive of my conception;

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. l; and

Figi'. l is a detail view showing' the manner in which the hereinafter described stripper rods may be adjusted relative to the batcar rying; tapes.

Referring' to the drawings in detail, the machine is provided with a frame of any suitable construction, in the present instance this frame being illustrated as having` a pair of side frames 10 appropriately secured together. Suitably iournalled `in the frame and, in the present instance, in substantially the same plane, are a plurality of supporting rolls 11. Passing about these rolls are Renewed September 22, 1924.

a plurality of transversely spaced endless bat carrying tapes 12. Preferably, fr lie `rolls 11 are circumferentiallv grooved as at 11 so that the tapes are properlv 0uided and vwmaintained in place and4 also to permithe bats, as tliev are carried bv the tapes over these rollnsto eiioae'etliese rolls. Positioned allieve the mitapesi and in interposed or staggered relation to the supporting; rolls 11 are pressure orwave rolls 13 which engage the upper faces of the tapes 12 and the bats carried thereby. These pressure rollers, if desired, may be mounted for movement, under pressure, towards the tapes 12, and, to this end, l have shown the opposite ends of each roll as journalled in suitable levers 111-. The upwardly extending' arms of these levers have attached to them springs 15 which urge the levers in such direction as to force the rolls, under pressure, towards the tapes. or the purpose of preventing the bats froiifi leaving the tapes 121A a d wrapping' themselves upon the wave m s, rods or wires 1Q1 are positioned u above the wei-kinorun of the tapes 12 and below the aires of the wave rolls. In the present instance, the fopposite ends of these stripper rods are secured to cross bars 17 which, in turn, are fastened, as by means of screws or bolts 18, to the frame of the niachine. rlhese screws -18 preferably pass through elongated vertical slots 19 in the cross bars (see Fig. 4) so that these cross bars, together with the stripper rods carried thereby, are adjustable. ln order that the stripper rods do not interfere with the rolls, the latter are at 20 and the s iippei rots pass through these grooves as will be seen most clearly from Fig. The ends of the tapes 12 pass about suitable guide rolls or drums 21. For the purpose of returning;` the bats after they have passed beneath the wave rolls to the forward end of the machine, there are paired with the lower or return runs of the tapes 12, a plurality7 of similar tapes 22 supported and guided by grooved ,ejuide rolls or drums 23. Preferably, the

passed delirery position or portimi troni v'hich the.

is, `d on the ba s maj,v be taheu al'ter 'they z through the. machine and rep.A torward end ot the tapes it?. ing` and wave rolls may be. driven in any suitable n rimer as, l'or im;y N ce, through iniermeshing gears 2l.

The operation ot' the machine .is brieliy as 'follows The bats, al'ter they have been properly l'ormed and suliciently worked so as to be handled wit-hout tearing, are placed. upon the 'forward or bat receiving end ot' the tapes l2 and these tapes carry the bats beneath the pressure rolls and over the snpporting rolls. @wing to the l'act that these rolls are in staggered relation and are urged towards each other under pressure, the bats are progressively bent to and 'fro and so manipulated that the libres thereot' are suitably 'lielted and shrunk. lt will be understood that the bats ar maintained in a saturated condition and, to this end, water may be discharged lrom pipes onto the bats. lifter the tapes l2 have carried the bats through the series of supporting and pressure rolls, the bat is returned to the forward end ot the machine between the lower run olf the tapes 12 and the upper run oit the tapes ln Figs. 1 and 2, the bat, designated by the letter B, has been placed on the bat receiving` portion or forward ends ot the tapes l2 and is starting its passage through the machine. rEhe bat, designated by the letter B', is shown on the bat delivery portion ot the tapes 22. lt desired, this bat B may be again placed on the tapes l2 to a second li'eeding through the machine, and this operation may be repeated as many times as is necessary to shrink and telt the bat to the desired extent.

claim as my invention:

l. In a machine of the character described, a plurality of supporting rolls, wave rol s arranged in staggered relation thereto, ant bat carrying endless tapes spaced apart transversely ot the machine and passing between said supporting rolls and wave rolls.

Q. ln a machine of the character described, a pluraltiy of supporting rolls, a plu ality ol" transversely spaced apart endless bat carrying tapes passing over saidrolls, 4and wave rolls arranged in staggereo relation to said supporting rolls and adapted to engage the bat carrying 'laces ot said tapes, said ravey rolls being mounted lor mo vvement relative to said supporting rolls.

3. ln a machine ot the character 'lescribcd a pluri lity ot supporting rolls provided with circumiierent'al grooves, transversely spacer apart bat carrying` endless tapes passing over said rolls in said grooves, and wave .rolls 'nterpesed between said supporting rolls p a'ioif'e said tapes whereby the bats carried by said tapes are repeatedly bent to and tro.

fl. ln a machine ot the character described,

a. plurality olf supporting rolls, tranfn'erscly spaced apart bat carrying endless tapes passing over said rolls aii l r c t.1.uningbeneartli same, wave rolls above-said tapes, and mc sicooperating with t ie return or lower run of said tapes Yfor'returning the bats to the forward end ot the machine.

5. ln a machine et the character described, a plurality ot supporting rolls, transversely spaced apart bat carrying endless tapes passing over said rolls andreturning)bengaththe same, wave rolls above said tapes, alud afplu ality ot endless tapes paired with the lower or return run of said lirst mentioned tapes tor returning the bats to the forward end of the machine.

6. ln a machine ot the character described, av plurality of supporting rolls, llexible bat carrying means passing over said rolls, cylindrical members engaging the bat carry-l ing tace ot said n eans and the bats carried thereby, and stripper rods extending longitudinally of the machine for pre\'enti1ig theI bats fro n winding themselves upon said cylindrical members.

T. ln a` machine ol the character described, supporting rolls, transversely spaced apart endless tapes passing over said rolls, cylindrical members engaging the bat carrying tace o't said tapes and the bats carried thereby, and stripper rods in fixed position above said tapes and beneath the axes or said cylindrical members, said stripper rods intersecting the peripheries ot said members.

8. ln a machine ot the character described, a plurality ot supporting rolls, l xible bat arrying means passing thereover, grooved rolls ada ated to engage the bats carried by aid means, and stripper rods extending longitudinally of the machine and passing through the grooves in said rolls beneath the aries thereof.

9. ln a machine ot the character described, a plurality of supporting rolls, tlexible bat carrying means passing thereover, circumferentially grooved pressure rolls interposed between said supporting rolls and adapted to engage the bats carried by said means, stripper rods positioned above the bat carrying face ot said means and extending through the circiunlerem'ial grooves olf said pressure rolls beneath the axes thereot, cross bars to which the opposite ends ot said strippe rods are secured, and means for adjiuitably fastening said cross bars to the machine. l0. ln a machine ot the character described, a plurality oit supporting rolls, tlesible bat carrying means passii'ig thereover, circumterentially grooved pressure rolls interposed between said supporting rolls and adapted to engage the bats by said means, stripper rods positioned above the liiat carrying face ot said means and t the circumferential V Y l .l extending Llirongn loo grooves of said pressure rolls, said rods being carried thereby, und stripper rods extend-l seeured t0 the frame of the machine. ing longitudinally ol' the machine for piffe- 11, In a 11130111119 0f the Character deventing the bats 'from Winding themselves 10 scribed, a plurality of supporting rolls, upon said cylindrical member, said stripper .flexible bat Carrying means passing thererods being secured to the frame of the maover, cylindrical members engaging the but Chine.

carrying face of said means and the bats WILLIAM A. LORENZ. 

